Combination shoe-shining device and supporting rack



Sept 19, 1967 'J. A. COON 3,341,881

COMBINATION SHOE-SHINING DEVICE AND SUPPORTING RACK Filed Jan. 4, 1965 INVENTOR.

LMJ JAMES 4 60m ATTORNEYS.

3,341,881 COMBINATION SHOE-SHINING DEVICE AND SUPPORTING RACK James A. Coon, 929 Drever St., West Sacramento, Calif. 95691 Filed Jan. 4, 1965, Ser. No. 422,896 3 Claims. (Cl. 15265) This invention relates to a combination shoe-shining device and supporting rack and has as its primary object the provision of an improved foot support to facilitate the shining of the shoes, which may be supported on the edge of a chair, a stool, or any other plane surface, or which may alternatively be supported from a vertical upright support and serve as a rack, particularly useful in holding polish, cleaning rags, and the like.

An additional object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character which may be readily and expeditiously employed as a shoe-shining device, and which in combination with an auxiliary supporting means may be readily transferred to an alternative position of adjustment to serve as a rack for the support of rags, cloths, cleaning fluid, polish, or other materials of a similar nature in such manner as to be readily available to the housewife or the like using the same.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device of this nature which is sturdy and durable in construction, reliable and eflicient in operation, and relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Still other objects reside in the combinations of elements, arrangements of parts, and features of construction, all as will be more fully pointed out hereinafter and disclosed in the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of one form of combination device constructed in accordance with the instant invention shown as mounted on a stool in a position for shining shoes;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the stool and shoeshining device of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the shoe-shining device removed from the stool;

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view thereof;

FIGURE 5 is a side elevational view similar to FIG- URE l but showing the device mounted in position as a support;

FIGURE 6 is a top plan view of the construction of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a top plan view of the auxiliary supporting rack adapted to be mounted on the shoe-shining device; and

FIGURE 8 is a side elevational view of the rack of FIGURE 7.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

Having reference now to the drawings in detail, the device of the instant invention is generally indicated at 10, and consists essentially of a normally vertically supporting plate 11 having an inclined top edge 12, front and rear edges 12a and 12b, and a relatively straight bottom edge 13, from the front edge of which depends a flange 14, the latter having at its extremity a second flange perpendicular to the first flange 14 and extending in parallel to the bottom edge of 13 of plate 11 to define a notch 16. The bottom edge 13 may be covered with a plate of flexible material 17 such as rubber or the like, while the inner side of flange 14 or the bottom of the notch 16 is provided with a similar piece of material 18, to preclude slippage of the device when the latter is mounted as shown in FIGURES 1 and 5.

The top inclined edge 12 supports a foot supporting plate 20, which includes a transverse shoulder 21 and a low portion 22 of less thickness than that of the base,

United States Patent 0 which serves as a heel support. The arrangement is such that the device may be mounted as shown in FIGURE 1, with the notch 16 engaging over the edge of a chair or, as illustrated, a stool, the latter being generally indicated at 25. When in this position, the device is securely held by placing of the foot on the foot support 20, with the heel on the reduced portion 22, and the shoe may be thus expeditiously and efliciently shined.

The stool 25 of the instant invention is of the type shown in the copending application of Eleanor M. Rolley, Ser. No. D74,50l, filed Apr. 18, 1963, and includes a flat surface 26 supported on legs 27, and having at one end a vertical upright 28, having a relatively narrow top 29. The latter may serve as a support for various articles, but in accordance with the instant invention the device 10 may be suspended therefrom by engaging the notch 16 over the top edge 29 of upright 28. In this position the plate 11 extends outwardly from the edge of the upright 28. In order to adapt the shoe shining device for use as a supporting rack, a frame generally indicated at 30 is provided. The latter includes two elongated bar members 31, which are adapted to extend transversely to the side edge of the plate 11, and between which at intermediate points are connected crossbars 32, the crossbars 32 and the bars 31 defining a receptacle 33, which is centrally positioned over the upper side edge of the plate 11. A lower pair of spaced bars 34 extend transversely across the bars 31 below the lower edges thereof, and are spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the plate 11 so that they engage on opposite sides thereof to provide a firm engagement with the plate. When in this position the central receptacle 33 may serve to support a bottle of cleaning fluid, polish, or the like, while the extending ends of the bars 31 may serve as a means for supporting rags or cleaning cloths or other articles of a flexible nature which may be hung on the extending ends thereof.

From the foregoing it will now be seen that there is herein provided an improved combination shoe shining device and support, Which accomplishes all the objects of this invention, and others, including many advantages of great practical utility and commercial importance.

As many embodiments may be made of this inventive concept, and as many modifications may be made in the embodiment hereinbefore shown and described, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A combination shoe-shine device and rack, comprismg:

a normally upright supporting plate having a top edge,

a bottom edge, a front edge and a rear edge and two sides;

a first flange formed by an extension of the front edge beyond the bottom edge;

a second flange substantially parallel to the bottom edge on the first flange spaced to form a notch which is adapted to engage securely over the top of a vertical support for supporting the plate horizontally with the front side facing upwardly;

a shoe plate on the top edge;

a rack removably supported on the front edge when the plate is horizontally disposed, said rack including a receptacle for a bottle and supporting bars for cloths and including,

a first pair of bars transversely disposed on said front edge and extending substantially equally on each side thereof,

a second pair of bars extending between spaced inter mediate points of the first bars to define the bottle receptacle substantially centrally of the rack, and

Patented Sept. 19, 196? 3 4 a pair of side engaging members disposed on the botsupporting plate, and along the adjacent side of said tom of the rack for laterally positioning the rack depending flange. on the plate, the rack being held vertically on the References Cited plate by gravity.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein the side engag- 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS ing members comprise a third pair of bars extending 6241843 5/1899 Mltcheu 15 250-11 parallel to and below said second pair of bars, and per- 777,766 12/1904 Archerpendicular to and below the first pair of bars, said third 2,603,814 7/1952 Weber 15-465 pair of bars being adapted to extend on opposite sides 2923025 2/1960 Llftman 15-268 of a vertical support in contacting relation thereto. I 3. The structure of claim 2 wherein a flexible friction 10 CHARLES WILLMUTH Puma), Examme" plate extends across said bottom edge of said upright L. G. MACHLIN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A COMBINATION SHOE-SHINE DEVICE AND RACK, COMPRISING: A NORMALLY UPRIGHT SUPPORTING PLATE HAVING A TOP EDGE, A BOTTOM EDGE, A FRONT EDGE AND A REAR EDGE AND TWO SIDES; A FIRST FLANGE FORMED BY AN EXTENSION OF THE FRONT EDGE BEYOND THE BOTTOM EDGE; A SECOND FLANGE SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE BOTTOM EDGE ON THE FIRST FLANGE SPACED TO FORM A NOTCH WHICH IS ADAPTED TO ENGAGE SECURELY OVER THE TOP OF A VERTICAL SUPPORT FOR SUPPORTING THE PLATE HORIZONTALLY WITH THE FRONT SIDE FACIND UPWARDLY; A SHOE PLATE ON THE TOP EDGE; A RACK REMOVABLY SUPPORTED ON THE FRONT EDGE WHEN THE PLATE IS HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED, SAID RACK INCLUDING A RECEPTACLE FOR A BOTTLE AND SUPPORTING BARS FOR CLOTHS AND INCLUDING, A FIRST PAIR OF BARS TRANSVERSELY DISPOSED ON SAID FRONT EDGE AND EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY EQUALLY ON EACH SIDE THEREOF, A SECOND PAIR OF BARS EXTENDING BETWEEN SPACED INTERMEDIATE POINTS OF THE FIRST BARS TO DEFINE THE BOTTLE RECPTACLE SUBSTANTIALLY CENTRALLY OF THE RACK, AND A PAIR OF SIDE ENGAGING MEMBERS DISPOSED ON THE BOTTOM OF THE RACK FOR LATERALLY POSTIONING THE RACK ON THE PLATE, THE RACK BEING HELD VERTICALLY ON THE PLATE BY GRAVITY. 